Trinidad Joe Gonzales

Trinidad Joe Gonzales
December 29, 1925 – April 7, 2018

Trini passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 7. He was born in Puruandiro, Michoacan, Mexico to Clementina and Hovito Gonzales. He came to San Pedro at the young age of 6 months. He was raised in the Barton Hill area by his Mother and Stepfather Nicolas Betancourt, along with his brothers Antone, Fidel Joe, and sister Margaret. He began his work history as a young man helping his mother. He started with a paper route that took him all over San Pedro and Terminal Island. He began driving trucks working for JC Agajanian. He joined the Army and later married Beatrice Zepeda. He had two daughters, Connie and Marylou. He later married Elvira Gonzalez, and together they had eight children, four boys and four girls – Juanita, Phil, Ruben, Teresa, Trini Jr, Mona, Andrea and Edmund (Gogo). Trini built the family home on the corner of 4th and Walker. Trini was a hard working man who worked construction, was a cement mason, ran a truck & hauling business and was a scrap collector. He started a business, Redimelt, with his two friends Scott Cameron and George Robenson in Phoenix, Arizona. He eventually bought out his partners and continued the business. After years of traveling between San Pedro and Phoenix, he sold his business to take care of his wife Elvira. After Elvira’s death, he settled in to live with his daughter Juanita in San Pedro. He did not stop his recycling ways, tinkering in the back yard, stripping wire and harvesting copper to sell. He would say it was busy work to keep his hands busy. Trini was preceeded in death by his parents, wife Elvira, son Ruben, and brother Fidel. His is survived by his brother, Antone, sister, Margaret, children, Juanita, Phil (Yolanda), Teresa (Rick Trujillo), Trini Jr (Brenda), Mona (Mario Gardea), Andrea (Fernando Reynoso), and Edmund (Nani), Daughter In Law Gloria, as well as Connie (Tommy Williams), and Marylou (Ernie Gonzales), 30 Grandchildren, 39 Great Grandchildren, and 2 Great Great Grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and Godchildren. Services will be held at Green Hills Memorial Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes. Visitation on Wednesday April 18th from 4:30 pm to 7 pm, Vigil and Rosary from 7 - 8:30 pm. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 19th at 11:30 am in the Chapel followed by Graveside Service.